Apalachicola Bay Chamber of Commerce
Spring 2009 Newsletter
Spring on the Forgotten Coast
St. George Island Lighthouse Dedication
On April 4th the St. George Lighthouse will hold a dedication for the lighthouse at 10:00 am. For more information call (850) 927-7744. ArtWalk
A spring celebration of the Arts April 4th. Fine art in all forms will be woven in and around picturesque downtown Apalachicola where artists will be showing, selling and demonstrating their talents from 12:00-5:00 pm. A children’s art workshop will be held throughout the afternoon at the Cotton Exchange building on Water Street. Festivities continue into the afternoon with a wine tasting and hors d’ oeuvre from 3:00-5:00 pm. Later in the evening local chefs will prepare special dishes at their restaurants highlighting our fresh local ingredients. For more information call (850) 653-9419 www.apalachicolabay.org.
Apalachicola Tour of Historic Homes
The 17th annual Apalachicola Tour of Homes begins Friday evening, May 1st, with an Evensong at 5:30 p.m. and a lecture in the history Trinity Church at 6:30 p.m. by preservation architect Mark Tarmey on the economic benefits of historic preservation. The featured home for this year’s historic tour will be the former home of world-renowned botanist Dr. Alvin Wentworth Chapman author of Flora of the Southern United States. 2009 commemorates the 200th anniversary of his birth. The Chapman home was recently purchased by Dr. Helen Tudor of New York City who is currently renovating the 1857 home with plans to use the first floor as a museum.
In addition to the Chapman house, more than a dozen historic homes and other buildings will be included on the tour. Apalachicola boasts more than 200 residences built in the nineteenth century and more than 100 erected from 1900-1910. In the three decades preceding the Civil War, Apalachicola ranked as the third busiest cotton port on the Gulf Coast behind only Mobile and New Orleans. The prosperity represented by many of the homes on tour is a direct result of this cotton trade.
Participants in the 2009 Tour of Historic Homes and Gardens will readily understand why the National Trust for Historic Preservation named Apalachicola one of America’s Dozen Distinctive Destinations in 2008.
Registration for the Tour begins at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 2, 2009 at Trinity Church. Admission the day of the tour is $20; advance tickets are $15. Advance tickets may be purchased before May 2 by calling Trinity Church (850) 653-9550, or the Chamber of Commerce (850) 653-9419. A gourmet lunch will be available for $10. Ticket holders will receive a tour brochure which contains brief histories of the homes and a map on the day of the tour.11th Apalachicola Antique & Classic Boat Show
Apalachicola will host the 11th Annual Apalachicola Antique & Classic Boat Show Saturday, April 25, 2009, 10:00 am- 4:00 pm. Antique boats, examples of classic and traditional vessels, workboats, and fiberglass and aluminum classics will all be on display. This festival emphasizes the maritime history of our picturesque coastal town. Special highlights include authentic oyster boats, workboats, home-built boats by skilled craftsmen, antique outboard engines, plus antique automobiles. The Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve will have displays on the Apalachicola River and its flora and fauna. At 6:00 pm there will be a dinner and a lecture by maritime expert Roger Allen. Reservations are required for the dinner and evening lecture. For information please call (850) 653-9419 or email us at
. Plein Air Painters to Capture Forgotten Coast on Canvas
Nationally acclaimed artists gather on Florida's Forgotten Coast, the noteworthy stretch between Mexico Beach and Alligator Point, to participate in the 4th Annual Plein Air Invitational, May 7-17, 2009. Painters will set up their easels and pull out their brushes to document the landscape and culture of this last vestige of authentic "Old Florida".
Plein Air (pronounced pleyn air) comes from the French term “en plein air,” meaning “in the open air.” It is a style of creating art in the moment outside, primarily (but not necessarily) from nature. A true plein air painting is done on location, capturing the atmosphere and establishing a sense of place. Many artists agree this is the true test of skill, as it requires complete confidence in placement of color and brushwork in a short amount of time. The work is valued for its sense of spontaneity and for the skill artists develop at quickly and deftly capturing the essence of light or shadow on a subject. Plein air art is not created in a deliberate or planned manner, it is fresh and uncontrived, created from life as it happens.
The artists, who hail from as far away as Maine and Oregon, will join those from as close by as St. Augustine and Tarpon Springs to paint the unspoiled beaches, the vast marshlands, the wide river, and the historic streets of waterfront towns. In its short history, the event has produced over 900 highly valued paintings.
The public is encouraged to stop and watch the painters throughout the event. A series of exhibits, demonstrations, presentations, luncheons, cocktail parties, a Student Art Day and a "Quick-draw" will be detailed in the event program, offering visitors and locals an opportunity to meet the artists and experience the plein air process. To view the entire schedule of events visit the evolving website, www.pleinairfl.com, or contact 800-378-8419.
